Foreign national

A foreign national is a person who is not a citizen of the host country in which he or she is residing or temporarily sojourning. For example, a foreign national in Canada is someone who is neither a Canadian citizen nor a permanent resident of Canada.[1] However, in the European Union, a foreign national is a third country national, i.e. someone who is not a citizen of any of the member states of the European Union.[2]

However, the precise definition of "foreign national" depends on the context. For example, contrary to the above, 2 U.S.C.§ 441e, which prohibits foreign nationals from making political contributions, defines "foreign national" to exclude Legal Permanent Residents.

The term "foreign national" came into usage when the previously used term "foreigner" developed negative connotations. They are synonyms.